It might be better to ask what mice won’t eat, instead of the question, "What do mice like to eat?" Mice have an extremely diverse diet – consuming practically any food source they can find. While they may not be picky about their food choices, they do prefer certain foods over others. The age-old question is always, “Do mice like cheese?” You might be surprised to learn that cheese is one of their least favorite foods. To better understand why mice choose certain foods over others, it’s important to first examine their feeding habits.
Mice Eating Habits
Curious by nature. Mice are inquisitive creatures. They readily investigate new items – including food – placed within their nesting area. Rather than consume large quantities of food in a single feeding, they will nibble on many food items at random. Because of this, mice contaminate or damage many more items than they could ever possibly consume.
Mouse food favorites. Of all the foods included on the mouse menu, chocolate is hands-down the favorite, followed closely by peanut butter. In fact, candy including the combination of the two is almost irresistible to a mouse. Other food items such as bird food, pet food and cereal are also high on the list of preferred mouse foods.
Questions answered. There are many questions about whether or not mice eat certain foods. The answers to some of the most commonly asked mouse inquiries might surprise you.
What Mice Eat
Do mice eat grass?
In nature, mice will eat almost any type of vegetation including plants, fruits, corn, oats, mushrooms, roots and even tree bark. In fact, that also answers, "What do wild mice eat."
Do mice eat roaches?
Yes, they do. Mice will also eat centipedes, as well as crickets and other insects.Do mice eat meat?
The answer is, yes. They will consume any type of protein available – from food scraps to worms and snails.
Do mice eat cheese?
Yes, although cheese is not their primary food source choice, mice will not turn down a free meal.Save it for later. Like many other types of rodents, mice are hoarders. They store their mouse food in or near their nesting sites to eat later when food sources may be in short supply. Depending on the type of food they have put in hiding, this can lead to home invasions from other insects like cigarette beetles, saw-toothed grain beetles and weevils who all feed on seeds and grains.
When you ponder the question, "What do house mice eat," it’s safe to say the cupboard is never bare. If mice have decided to feast on the foods in your home, call the pest management professionals at Terminix® and put an end to their pantry raids.
